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4-Book Set: All the Lovely Bad Ones, Deep and Dark and Dangerous, The Old Willis Place, and Wait Till Helen Comes: Spooky Novels Set
Paperback
Published January 1, 2010
22 people are currently reading
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About the author
Mary Downing Hahn
64 books4,402 followersI grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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March 8, 2011All of these books are good! I think that Deep and Dark and Dangerous was the best, The old Willis place was the most touching, All the lovely bad ones was interesting, and Wait till Helen Comes is by far the most ScArY!!!!! Love Mary Downing Hahn!
January 23, 2015
Every single on of these books are suspenseful, and shocking. They are super fun to read.
March 22, 2012
Mary downing Hahn rocks, her books are so lifelike but pretty scary at the same time. She makes up the most colorful characters, love sissy from deep, dark, and dangerous. Love the title. That book is definantly my fav of hers. All of them are spectacular though
October 10, 2012
I love Mary Downing Hahn. She is the best author ever! I love all of her books! U could get scared or you think it's a children book. Sweet Dreams!
October 18, 2012
good scary book
December 16, 2012
I love all Mary Downing Hahn books. They're the best ghost stories I've ever read!
April 6, 2013
I loved these when I was in like 4th grade !!!(:
Want to read
December 16, 2015A good book
September 15, 2016
Fantastic books
December 16, 2016
I dont know how to read the books
January 18, 2011
it was a realy good book! i would advise this for ages..... 9 and up :)
November 20, 2024
it was interesting that the bases of this story came from the authors mothers experience's as a young girl. i cant imagine going to a wake for someone i didn't know just to get sweets to eat. THE STORY WS FILLED WITH BULLYING and hateful feelings.
April 13, 2021
Awsome book. Just loved it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2021
Wow 😶
May 11, 2021
I think that all of these scared me to death.
August 12, 2021
i absolutely love these books.
October 6, 2024
A fun and spooky read with relatable characters. The story teaches empathy without being pedantic. Lots of fun to read and I enjoyed the scary and the not-so-scary characters.
March 19, 2013
Mary Downing Hahn has amazing talent when it comes to writing books. Her books are big attention grabbers. She writes mostly about spooky mysteries and ghost. My favorite book she has written has to be All The Lovely Bad Ones, its about a boy named Travis and his sister Corey who spend the summer at their grandmothers inn in Vermont but when they learn that the inn has a history of ghost sightings they decide to do a little of their own ,but when they do they discover that they have woken something up that should have remained asleep. I really recommend this book to whoever loves reading ghost stories.
October 28, 2015
Maybe you don't think the supernatural exists. Maybe you don't think ghosts are real. But these books can probably convine most otherwise. Amazing details, amazing work.
"Just wait until Helen comes. Then you'll be sorry." Heather, Wait Till Helen Comes
"It's time for us to go now. Good-bye." Caleb, All The Lovely Bad Ones
"Theresa..." Deep and Dark and Dangerous
"Just wait until Helen comes. Then you'll be sorry." Heather, Wait Till Helen Comes
"It's time for us to go now. Good-bye." Caleb, All The Lovely Bad Ones
"Theresa..." Deep and Dark and Dangerous
July 21, 2015
These books were full of mysteries! My favorite was Deep Dark and Dangerous! If you're looking for some good mystery/thriller books but don't want to be too frightened I would highly suggest these 4 books!
July 20, 2015
How can I rate all of them at once xD Overall though it gets 4 stars. It was very enjoyable, if only it was a movie, I would have given MONEY to make it a movie! :DD
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews